The Holly and the Ivy
by Lyra Ngalia
Summary: Part 1: Alphonse is the universe's voice of reason, Jean Havoc is confused about his love life, Edward is defensive, and Winry makes a request. Part 2: Winry throws a wrench, Edward has issues with gingerbread, and Al continues to be the voice of reason.
1. Advent

**The Holly and the Ivy: Advent**

Winry Rockbell couldn't help feeling excited as the train rumbled down the tracks, the city of Central growing ever larger in her window. It had been a while since she visited the city, having been kept busy by the influx of automail work into Risembool. In fact, now that she thought about it, Winry realized that the last time she had stepped foot in Central had been that fateful day Edward Elric returned to Amestris.

It had been more than a year since that day, since Alphonse Elric had literally dragged his brother back through the gate and closed the portal into their world. Edward had been furious, incensed that he had not been allowed to play the hero and sacrifice his happiness for the people he loved. Alphonse had taken the resultant verbal beating like a rock, and when Ed finally paused for breath, Al had calmly slapped his brother across the room, informing him that safety of both worlds merely needed one gate permanently closed and guarded, that a door that led to nowhere was no door at all, that he was tired of his brother's hero complex making everyone around them miserable, and that Edward Elric was back home, and he'd _damned_ well appreciate it.

The sudden outburst of temper from Al had shocked Ed into silence, and, upon their return to Risembool, Ed was like a ghost in the Rockbells' large house, appearing silent and begrimed after dark, and disappearing just as silently at dawn. Alphonse had been inconsolable, convinced his brother hated him forever. It was almost a full week before Edward returned one afternoon to drag Winry and his brother down to where their old house stood; there, a small, brand-new house greeted them, its freshly painted walls gleaming in the sunlight. When pressed about how he had managed to erect the dwelling by himself, Edward admitted that he had used alchemy to get the structure up in a single afternoon, but spent the rest of the week adding the various details by hand that made the house suitable for habitation.

Winry had been stunned to hear Ed's news; he had built the house for Al and himself, and he planned on splitting his time between Risembool and his duties as a State Alchemist in Central. Alphonse had been ecstatic to the point of tears, flinging himself at his older brother until Ed flushed bright red. Though Edward's words had complained about his little brother's sentimentality, Winry had seen the genuine gladness in his eyes, a look she had not seen since the Elric brothers' mother died.

"End of the line! Central Station!" the deep, resonant voice of the conductor announced as the train shuddered to a stop, jolting Winry out of the cocoon of her memories. She stood up and stretched, loosening muscles that had been still for far too long, before hoisting the large case at her feet onto her shoulders. She had somebody to meet, and a delivery to make.

* * *

Winry scanned the faces of the crowd around her, looking for a familiar one as she alternated between keeping her balance with the extra weight on her shoulders and pulling her coat closed as the sharp wind tugged it away from her body. So preoccupied with the task was she that she didn't notice the child running up to her until she felt herself tackled around the waist and a high, albeit muffled, voice squeal from her middle, "Big sister! You came!"

Looking down, she couldn't help but grin at the green eyes beaming up at her. "I promised you that I would, didn't I, Elysia?" she asked, giving the girl an awkward one armed hug while not dropping the case on her shoulders, "Now where's your mother?"

"Mama's over there," Elysia Hughes answered as she noticed Winry's predicament and let go of her waist. "See, she's waving at us."

Following the girl's pointing finger, Winry saw Gracia Hughes waiting about ten feet away, indeed waving to the two of them. "Come on, Elysia. I've got something for your mama, and if we don't hurry back to your house, I may drop and break it."

"How was your trip, Winry?" Gracia asked as her daughter brought the tall blonde over, "You look lovelier every time I see you."

"The trip was fine," Winry replied, her cheeks coloured by a faint red blush at the compliment. "Thank you for inviting me to visit."

"Let's go home," Elysia insisted, tugging on her mother's arm, "Big sister Winry's going to fall down!"

Gracia turned to Winry and her eyes widened, for the first time noticing the large case slung over the young woman's shoulders. "What in the world is that?" she asked, incredulous, "Should we get you some help with it?"

Winry shook her head and shifted the weight of the case so that she could offer Elysia a hand to hold. "It's a surprise," she answered with a wink, "I'll show you once we're at your house." Gracia couldn't help but give Winry a skeptical look, but accepted that the young woman knew her own strength, and led her visitor and her daughter towards home.

* * *

"I'm surprised you didn't ask Edward to meet you at the station," Gracia mentioned as the three of them made their way up the path to the house, "I'm sure he would have loved to see you."

Winry nodded, "I know, but I didn't want to bother him while he's working. I may give him a call later to let him know I'm in Central. Besides, he saw me two weeks ago when he went home." Elysia abruptly let go of her hand and ran the remaining steps up to the house, where she produced a key and unlocked the front door. "Elysia's growing up fast," she observed, "Her eyes remind me of Mr. Hughes; she likes seeing the people around her happy, doesn't she?"

Though it had been about five years since the death of her husband, there was still sadness in Gracia's eyes at the mention of him. "Elysia really does," she acknowledged, "She's Maes' daughter, through and through." She seemed about to say more, but at the sight of her daughter waiting impatiently at the door, she shook herself and smiled. "Let's get inside where it's warm."

The interior of the Hughes house was the same as Winry remembered; warm bright light flooded the house, and pictures of the three members of the family littered shelves and end tables. Even during her first visit to the house, Winry had thought the Hughes' home exemplified the family for it exuded comfort and welcome. It was as if the house was an extension of the three individuals who lived in it; their collective kindness was an almost tangible balm in the air when one stepped through the door.

"Why don't you show Winry where she's sleeping, Elysia, while I start on dinner?" Gracia asked as she helped the young girl remove her coat.

"My room!" Elysia exclaimed, bouncing on her heels, impatient for her mother to extract the warm coat from her body, "You're sleeping in my room, big sister!"

"Elysia, you helped me get the guest room ready for Winry this morning, remember?" came the gentle reminder from Gracia as she finished extracting her daughter from her coat.

Elysia's large green eyes began filling with tears. "But I want big sister Winry to stay with me!" she nearly bawled, reaching for Winry's legs as her mother hung up her coat.

Winry eased her heavy burden to the ground and leaned down to meet the girl's eyes. "But you and your mom must have spent so much time getting a room ready for me," she pointed out, "I don't want to let your hard work go to waste. Why don't you show me your room, and I'll stay with you there until you fall asleep tonight."

The compromise seemed to satisfy Elysia, and her tears disappeared as quickly as they had appeared. "Okay," she agreed, taking Winry's hand and tugging her towards the stairs, "I picked what comforter to use for your bed!"

Winry couldn't help but smile widely at the girl's quicksilver mood change. "Hold on, Elysia. Let me show your mom the present I brought," she laughed as she turned to Gracia, "Mrs. Hughes, remember how you admired the little oven in my house when you came to Risembool?" She bent down and unlatched the lid of the heavy traveling case to reveal the contents within, "I made you one just like it!" Indeed, staring back up at them from the travel case was the sleek metal face of an oven, its glass window polished to a shine.

"You really shouldn't have done that, Winry!" Gracia protested, though the smile on her face showed the young mechanic that she was pleased with the gift, "And to lug it all the way from Risembool to Central must have been so hard on you."

The blonde waved the older woman's arguments away with her hands, "It's me we're talking about, Mrs. Hughes! I built it as lightweight as possible without sacrificing functionality. It's got settings for every temperature you could ever need, and there's a light inside so you can see how your pies are doing from the window without opening the door, and the whole thing is made of—" Winry stopped abruptly and blushed; she always seemed to get carried away when she talked about mechanical things. "I can't think of anyone who deserves one more than you; you taught me how to bake, after all." With a soft grunt, Winry picked up the bulky contraption and flashed the Hughes females a grin. "Show me where you want this, and maybe we can test it out together while we make dinner." Elysia cheered and raced towards the kitchen while Gracia followed at a more sedate pace, keeping a worried eye on Winry as she brought up the rear.

* * *

"Yummy stew, yummy yummy stew for dinner!" Elysia sang out as she danced around the kitchen waving a wet carrot.

The doorbell rang and Gracia looked up in surprise. "Oh, that must be Jean," she exclaimed, "I almost forgot he was coming over tonight! Good thing there will be plenty of stew." She corralled her daughter and plucked the damp vegetable out of the young girl's hand. "Elysia, will you please be a good girl and open the door for Jean?"

"Okay," ever-agreeable Elysia replied, running out of the room. The sound of her feet scurrying across the house's wooden floor was interrupted by the sound of the door opening, followed by Elysia's loud squeal of "Uncle Jean!"

"Hiya, Elysia! Where's your mama?" a vaguely familiar male voice greeted the girl, and several moments later a redheaded man appeared in the kitchen. "Hi, Gracia! And who is—? Hey, it's the boss's girlfriend!"

Winry whirled around, blond hair flying, and almost dropped the carrot she was peeling in surprise, "Lieutenant Havoc! I didn't expect to see _you_ here!"

"I ran into Jean at the grocer's last month," Gracia explained, "And he told me he couldn't cook to save his life, so I invited him to come over for dinner every once in a while. I can't abide the thought of the poor man starving." From the faint blush on Jean Havoc's cheek, Winry couldn't help but wonder if the man thought there was something more than simple kindness involved.

"So what brings you to Central, missie?" Jean asked as he swung the girl clamoring for attention up into his arms, "I didn't think the boss needed any repair work done."

Gesturing to the oven now sitting proudly on the countertop, Winry explained, "I had a gift to deliver to Mrs. Hughes. I'll call Edward after dinner and see if he'll have time to see me tomorrow."

"Don't worry, I can keep a secret," he teased, then added with a dramatic sigh, "Guess this means I can't skip out on work early tomorrow. The boss will dump all his work on poor old Jean so he can go gallivanting around town with his girlfriend."

"I'm just Ed's mechanic, Lieutenant Havoc," Winry reminded the older man with a grin as she resumed peeling carrots for dinner. Though Ed went on long ranting denials when anyone referred to her as his girlfriend, Winry knew that Jean Havoc meant nothing by it except friendly teasing.

"If you say so, missie," Havoc grinned, setting Elysia back down on the ground and rolling up his sleeves, "Anything I can help with, Gracia?"

* * *

"That oven of yours is a real marvel, Winry," Gracia said as she passed around the basket of freshly baked rolls, "I don't think I can thank you enough for building it and bringing it all the way here from Risembool."

"I'm glad you like it," Winry answered, a deep blush spreading over her face as she busied herself with her food. As she dipped a bite of warm fluffy bread into the savory stew, Winry added, "Besides, it's not the oven, it's the skill of the cook. And your cooking is delicious, Mrs. Hughes."

The sentiment was heartily echoed by both Lieutenant Havoc and Elysia, and the meal passed quickly in a flurry of amiable conversation. Before Winry knew it, the last spoonful of stew had disappeared, split between Elysia and Lieutenant Havoc, and Gracia had stood up to gather the empty dishes together. When Winry rose, her empty bowl in her hands, Gracia shook her head and waved the young woman towards the study. "Go call Edward and let him know you're in Central," she insisted, "Elysia, and I can take care of things in here. Besides, you and Jean are my guests. You don't have to clean up."

"I'll be quick about it," Winry promised as she headed towards the study.

"You should try the office first," Lieutenant Havoc informed her as he headed towards the kitchen with an armful of dirty dishes despite Gracia's insistence that he was a guest, "I would bet the boss is still there."

"Thanks," she answered as the man disappeared into the kitchen, Elysia at his heels with the bread basket. Once in the study, Winry picked up the telephone and dialed the number for Edward's office with practiced ease, leaning against the heavy wooden desk as she waited for the operator to pick up.

"Hello?" Edward's familiar voice answered, and Winry almost dropped the phone in surprise; she had not expected him to answer, though it was entirely possible that the operator had left for the night. "Hello? Hello, is anyone there?"

"Ed?" Winry managed to squeak out. "What happened to the operator?"

"Winry?" the surprise in his voice came through clearly, and Edward continued, "Is something wrong?"

"No, nothing's wrong," she hurried to reassure him as she ran an idle finger down the slick, polished surface of the wooden desk, "I was just calling because I'm in Central right now—"

"Should I come meet you at the train station?" Ed interrupted. Winry could make out some loud background thumps, and she suspected Edward had just leaped out of his seat and knocked over something in his haste.

"Calm down," she laughed, "I'm staying with Mrs. Hughes and Elysia, and I just wanted to see if you had time to meet me for lunch tomorrow."

"Of course I'll meet you tomorrow," Edward replied, "Havoc will cover for me; he almost begged to leave early today, saying he had a date." Winry couldn't help the soft laugh that escaped her throat, though she wondered again if the lieutenant was speaking the truth or if it was merely wishful thinking on his part.

"I'll meet you at your office. I've been curious about what your State Alchemist research office looks like." On the other end, Edward complained halfheartedly before relaying directions to the building, which Winry jotted down on a scrap of paper she found on the desk and tucked into her pocket.

* * *

"Was the boss still at work?" the redheaded man asked when Winry emerged from the study. He was sitting on the floor with Elysia in his lap, a toy lying abandoned in hers as she made another grab for the cookie he dangled above her head.

Winry nodded, "Thank you, and I'm sorry about the extra work you're going to have to do tomorrow, Lieutenant." At the sound of Winry's voice, Elysia's attention left the cookie and she got to her feet to tug at Winry's hand.

"Look at what big brother made for me!" she insisted, waving the toy at Winry.

"Big brother?" Winry asked in confusion before things clicked in her mind, "You mean big brother Edward? He got you a present?"

"He came for my birthday party," Elysia explained, "And told me he'd use alchemy to make me what I wanted for my present."

Gracia couldn't help but smile at the story. "Elysia, that was Edward's birthday party too," she reminded her daughter, "I've told you before, he was here the very day you were born."

"I know, Mama," Elysia answered blithely with the special brand of innocent insolence only preadolescent children possessed before turning back to Winry, "You couldn't come that time because you had lots of work to do, but I told big brother that I wanted you to be at my party. He said he wished you had been too, so he clapped his hands and made this for me." A wide grin on her face, Elysia thrust the toy into Winry's hands.

The toy was a doll, soft and stuffed with cotton. "Edward made this for you with alchemy?" she asked in surprise. She had seen the results of Edward's alchemy before and had always been impressed, however, the years of observing Al's work has also taught Winry that Edward was never one for fine details, but this doll was perfect down to the stitching.

The soft doll wore tiny black boots of stitched leather, a black skirt, a pale green shirt, and a black jacket. When she saw the face, Winry almost dropped the doll in surprise. "It's me!" she exclaimed, staring at the smiling doll's blue eyes. It was her face rendered into cuddly toy form; the doll's blonde hair was pulled into a ponytail save for the strands at the temples that she had never been able to make stay in her own ponytail, and the smile that peered out from the cloth face was her own, cheerful with a hint of steel beneath. The doll was even clenching a tiny silver wrench in its fist.

At her reaction, Jean Havoc began to laugh. "You've always been a sharp one, missie," the older man teased, "Didn't you recognize the clothes first?"

"I haven't worn that outfit in years!" Winry protested, unable to tear her eyes away from the doll in her hands.

"The detail's amazing, isn't it?" Gracia asked, "Edward's a wonderful alchemist, but I've never seen him get anything quite that detailed or accurate on a first try. He must have had the image of you fixed very clearly in his mind." Winry couldn't formulate a response to Gracia's comment, but the older woman saved her by changing the subject. "It's near bedtime, Elysia," she said, moving to rise, "Let's go get you cleaned up before you go to sleep."

Winry shook her head and handed the doll back to the girl. "How about I get you cleaned up for bed, Elysia?" she asked, waving for Gracia to keep her seat, "And you can tell me more about your birthday party this year." Elysia beamed and began to speak as the blonde led her towards her bedroom.

* * *

Following the instructions Ed had left her, Winry arrived at a small stone building, nondescript except for the green lion banner flying above it. There was little activity around the building; in fact, she was the only person in sight as she stood regarding her surroundings. A gust of wind whipped past, reminding the blonde that perhaps the lack of outdoor activity was due to the temperature, and she hurried towards the door, mindful of the bag full of wrapped purchases in her hand.

Inside the building, the air was warm, and Winry sighed in relief. Though Central wasn't much colder than Risembool this time of year, her morning of ducking in and out of shops, as well as the walk to Edward's office, had chilled her considerably. "May I help you?" a polite voice asked from behind her.

Winry whipped around found an older woman smiling at her from behind a desk. "I'm looking for Ed—, Major Elric," she said, tripping over the unfamiliar title, "He should be expecting me."

"Major Elric's office is on the third floor," the woman answered, gesturing to the staircase behind her, "Last door on the left." Thanking her, Winry made her way up the stairs and found the indicated door slightly ajar, giving her a glimpse of papers strewn on the floor. At the sight, she couldn't help but smile as she raised her hand to knock; some things just never changed.

"Come in," Edward's familiar, if distracted, voice invited, and she pushed the door open fully to find the young man sitting behind a desk, a pen in his left hand and a look of concentration on his face as he regarded whatever document was in front of him. Lieutenant Havoc stood in front of a bookshelf, several volumes in hand as he looked up to greet the visitor. At the sight of Winry, his face split into a wide grin, and he stayed silent, suddenly finding the bookshelf in front of him a source of endless fascination.

"Major Elric?" Winry asked, trying her hardest to keep the smile out of her voice.

At the sound of her voice, Edward's head shot up. "Winry!" he exclaimed, the work in front of him forgotten as he hurried towards her. "I was hoping you would come and save me from this paperwork."

"Ed, you're in uniform!" Winry said in surprise, suddenly noticing that her childhood friend was not wearing the brown coat and white shirt he favored since his return but the dark blue Amestris military uniform, complete with rank insignia and immaculately shined boots.

The young alchemist flushed pink and brushed at the sleeves of his uniform. "I _am_ a State Alchemist, you know," he answered defensively, touching the silver chain at his belt, "Why _shouldn't_ I be wearing the uniform?"

Winry smiled and patted him on the shoulder. "Don't get defensive," she soothed, "I'm just surprised. You never wear it when you come home."

"Of course not," came the immediate, and still defensive, answer. "This thing is uncomfortable. And these stupid flaps around the back get caught in_everything_. I don't know how everyone around here deals with them," he continued, tugging at the offending panels of cloth in annoyance. Edward's eyes fell on the bulging bag in Winry's right hand and he asked, "What's all that?"

"I went shopping this morning," she answered, looking around, "Can I leave it here? I don't want to lug it around all day."

A hooded look fell over Edward's eyes as he answered, reaching for the bag, "Sure, I'll put it behind my desk." Before Winry could protest, he had taken the large bag and tucked it out of sight behind his desk. "Cover for me please, Havoc?" he asked the older man as he returned to Winry's side.

"Sure thing, boss," came the response as Havoc winked at Winry. "Have fun, and don't stay out too late." Ed made a face and glared at his subordinate, who merely continued grinning as he waved the two out of the room.

* * *

Despite the cold that kept Winry hugging her coat close, it was a beautiful day, with brilliant white sunshine and clear skies the colour of sapphire. "So Lieutenant Havoc took off early yesterday for a date?" Winry asked nonchalantly as Ed led her down the street.

The blond at her side nodded, his ponytail bobbing, "It's strange," Edward added, "He normally can't be stopped from talking about the woman he's seeing, but this time he hasn't said a word."

"Why Edward, I didn't realize you had such an appetite for gossip," she teased, digging her elbow into his side.

The glare he leveled at her would have been called deadly if it had not been accompanied by sputtering denials. "I just think it's strange!" he exclaimed. "I'm not interested in Havoc's love life!"

"Oh, then I guess it wouldn't interest you that he was having dinner with me?" Winry continued, her voice and face the epitome of innocence.

"_What?!_" The outburst was loud enough to startle the birds roosting on a nearby rooftop, and Winry couldn't help but laugh at Ed's expression, torn between revulsion and disbelief. "You—, Havoc—"

"So much for being not interested." When Ed continued to look like he was about to be sick, she explained with a light swat at his head, "He wasn't with me, stupid. He was with Mrs. Hughes."

At the news, Edward froze on the spot, leaving Winry a few steps ahead until she realized she'd left the alchemist behind. "Mrs. Hughes?" he echoed.

Winry shook her head and grabbed his hand, pulling him along by his automail. "Yes, but I don't know if she's just being kind or not" she admitted, "I don't think he knows either."

The admission coaxed a laugh out of Ed, and he looked around them in surprise; he had stopped paying attention to where they were going. "Back this way," he said, pointing behind them to a storefront adorned with a blue awning and two wrought iron tables out front. "Come on." Before Winry could answer, he grabbed her wrist and pulled her towards the restaurant.

* * *

Upon their entry, a heavyset man wearing an apron looked up and grinned. "Good afternoon, Major! There's a table free over there." he said, gesturing them to an empty table near the large front window.

At the greeting, Ed stopped and stared at the man in confusion, "You've never called me by rank before, Mr. Wirtz."

The man shook his head and gestured to Winry. "I saw that you had a lady with you and was_trying_ to help you impress her, Edward," he explained in exasperation, "But you just blew it." Winry couldn't help but laugh, and at the sound of her voice, the man winked at her. "Sorry about that, miss. I'm Daniel Wirtz, the proprietor; Edward comes in almost every day for lunch."

"I'm Winry Rockbell," the blonde answered, "I've known Ed since we were little. I've never been impressed by him, so you really didn't do any harm."

Edward gave a yelp of indignant protest at her words, but Mr. Wirtz merely laughed again. "Good to know," he said, turning back to the counter he had been wiping down when they entered, "You two kids sit down, and I'll come take your order in a minute. Edward can tell you what we serve. He's tried everything."

Muttering threateningly under his breath, Ed led Winry to the indicated table and dropped into a chair, shooting half-hearted glares at the proprietor behind the counter. "So, what do you recommend?" Winry asked, taking her own seat. "Hopefully something warm; I'm so cold I can barely feel my fingertips."

"The chicken pie then," Ed answered immediately as Mr. Wirtz returned, "Two meat pies, please. One chicken and one beef."

"Of course, Ed," the man replied, "And I'll have coffee out for you two in a minute. I know it's cold outside." He disappeared through a doorway into what Winry assumed was the kitchen, and she could hear the unmistakable bark of orders, though the words themselves were indistinct.

They sat in silence, Ed staring out the window, until the promised hot coffee came and Winry busied herself with adding cream and sugar, while Ed simply sipped his. "You know, cream makes it taste better," she teased. When there was no response, she frowned. "Ed, is something wrong? You know I didn't really mean what I said earlier about not being impressed by anything you do."

At the direct question, Edward blinked in confusion. "No, I know you didn't mean it," he answered, shaking his head. "Are you upset with me, Winry?"

Now it was Winry's turn to be confused, "Me? No! Why?"

Ed shrugged and looked distinctly uncomfortable as he recounted his reasons, "You didn't tell me you were coming into Central or ask me to meet you at the train station. And you usually make me take you shopping when you come, but this time you seem to have done it all already."

Winry sighed in relief at his reasoning; Edward could be surprisingly sensitive sometimes, and she had been worried that he took something she said the wrong way. "I didn't ask you to pick me up because I didn't want to bother you at work," she explained, "And I didn't tell you I was coming because I knew you'd come meet me even if I told you not to. I just came to Central because I wanted to give Mrs. Hughes a present." She kicked at his leg lightly and was rewarded with a faint metallic clink when she hit his automail. "And I _do_ plan on making you take me shopping after this. I just started early because I don't want you to see your Christmas present, and it wouldn't be right for you to pay for my Christmas presents for Rose, Granny, and Al."

"What presents?" Ed asked as their food arrived. He paused to shoot Winry a confused look before digging into his meal.

"Christmas presents," she repeated as she broke the steaming crust of her pie with a fork. "When Rose came back to Risembool after her yearly visit to Lior to oversee how the military's reconstruction has been progressing, she started talking about how Lior was finally at the point where they could have their annual Christmas celebrations again. Apparently this Christmas is an old holiday tradition in Lior. Rose said no one remembers what it originally was, but its been celebrated for as long as anyone can remember, a big winter festival for people to see friends and give gifts to the people they care about."

"They're celebrating something they don't even remember the reason behind?" Ed asked, skeptical, "What if this thing was some kind of festival where they sacrificed babies?"

Winry frowned and kicked the alchemist's metal leg again. "You're missing the point, Edward," she admonished, "It's hard to travel to Lior in the winter with so much desert in the way, so Rose can't make it back for the festival. And you know even if she could, she can't stand being there for very long anymore. So I promised her we would have our own Christmas festival, and you're coming home next week to help celebrate."

The tone of her voice brooked no argument, and Edward sighed. He didn't mind the idea of spending a week back home in Risembool, nor did he mind the idea of celebrating this foreign holiday. But to acquiesce without argument was bad form around Winry; she would start to expect it. "I'll be there as long as I don't get traveling orders," he answered, letting a fair bit of grumbling enter his voice.

"And don't forget to bring a gift for Rose," Winry added. At his glare, she smiled and changed the subject, "This chicken pie is really good, Ed."

Edward returned the smile, but did not let himself be distracted by the attempted change in subject. "Didn't you say you bought gifts for everyone else too?" he asked, "And was that gift you brought Mrs. Hughes a Chrimtas present?"

"Christmas," Winry corrected, "And yes, but I didn't tell her that. I just thought it would be nice to do something for her." She smiled and continued, "And I bought presents for everyone because it wouldn't be fair to just have presents for Rose. Granny and Al were a little skeptical about the whole thing, but I think Rose and I have convinced them."

Ed couldn't help but smile at the way her face was illuminated by the talk of celebrating this foreign holiday; it was a look he had previously thought exclusively dedicated to talk of machinery. "Don't worry, Winry," he reassured her, "I'll be home for Christmas."


	2. Firelight

**The Holly and the Ivy: Firelight**

Edward Elric couldn't help but smile as the train rumbled down the tracks, the city of Central receding into the distance. Even though he still thought the idea of celebrating some obscure foreign holiday strange, he had to admit that it felt good to find items he thought the people he cared about would like. The gifts were now sitting, neatly wrapped in their store packaging, in the valise at his feet; it had been easy to find something for Al, Granny Pinako, Rose, and even Rose's son Cain, but there was still a crucial gift missing.

Despite all his searching, Edward still hadn't found anything he thought actually fit Winry. He hoped some judicious snooping at the Rockbell house during his stay would give him ideas. If not, he still had the earrings he'd purchased to give her. Ed knew that the mechanic liked earrings; he'd given her pairs before, but it just seemed that there had to be a better gift he could give her, if he could only find it.

Forcing his mind away from the dilemma, which he had been mulling over for days, Edward noticed a young girl several rows ahead staring at him. He gave her a smile and she jumped, as if terrified she'd been caught staring. Left along again, Ed frowned and tugged at the dark blue sleeves of his uniform; he was certain it was the uniform that had both caught the child's interest and sent her scurrying.

He had planned to leave his office early, giving himself enough time to return to the barracks and change before he needed to catch the train, but a call about a potential case of alchemic rebound had come in and he had been forced to make the trip across Central. Fortunately, the case had not been serious, but Ed had almost missed the last train for Risembool and he was still stuck wearing his uniform. Still, he could probably slip home and change before heading over to the Rockbell house. Comforted by the thought and calmed by the rhythmic rumble of the train as it carried him away from Central, Edward Elric closed his eyes and let his mind wander.

"Sir?" The quiet question brought Ed out of his light doze, and he opened his eyes to find the conductor standing over him, an awkward expression on his face. When he realized Ed was awake, his expression morphed into one of embarrassment. "Sorry for waking you, sir," he apologized, "but I have to ask to see your ticket."

"Of course," Ed answered, digging in his pocket for the slip of paper. As he drew it out and handed it to the conductor, his pocket watch fell out as well and glinted in the afternoon light.

"You're a State Alchemist?" the conductor asked, his eyes caught by the flash of silver even as Edward tucked the watch back into his pocket. Ed nodded, and the conductor continued as he glanced over the ticket, "Can't imagine what business you would have in Risembool. It's a little village in the middle of nowhere, although I hear a decent automail mechanic lives there. Just last month, saw a man with half his arm completely ruined going all the way to Risembool to get a replacement. Must be some mechanic."

Ed couldn't help but smile as he flexed his right hand. "That she is," he said with a smile as he took back the ticket. "When will we be arriving?"

"In about an hour, sir," came the reply as the conductor continued on to the next passenger. The faint smile still lingering on his face, Edward stared out the window as the green farmland flew by.

* * *

Edward stepped off the train platform and scrutinized the cold grey skies. Somewhere between Central and Risembool, the weather had changed, and the sky was no longer the clear blue it had been in Central, but a dull silver grey so thick that it obscured the sun, bathing the entire landscape in a strange diffuse light. He grinned as he saw a figure running towards the train station, red overcoat flapping in the wind. "What's the hurry, Al?" Edward asked with a grin as his younger brother came to a panting stop in front of him.

"You're late," Alphonse Elric finally said, his breath streaming in wispy white clouds as he caught his breath. "We were supposed to be at Winry's half an hour ago. She told me to come get you straight from the train station." Without another word, the younger Elric grabbed his brother by the wrist and began pulling him down the road.

"What are you talking about, Al?" Ed asked as he hurried to catch up to the brisk pace Al set. "I need to go home and change out of this damned uniform."

"Didn't Winry tell you?" When Alphonse was satisfied that Ed was not going to lag behind, he let go of his older brother's wrist and turned to face him. At the confused look on Edward's face, Al continued, "Guess not. But we're staying at Winry's house for the next few days to celebrate Christmas. Winry and Rose insisted. I brought spare clothes for both of us to Winry's house before coming to get you."

Ed sighed in resignation before he followed his brother in silence. It wasn't until they came over a rise and saw the Rockbell house that he spoke again. "Al, did you get everyone presents?"

Alphonse nodded, "Of course. I talked to Mr. Armstrong and got Rose a book of sketches of Lior, and Granny a new rocking chair since her old one broke. I even made Cain a set of toy soldiers." A strong gust of wind whistled past and he shivered, "It's really cold today."

"What did you get Winry?" Al could not help noticing the nervous way his brother's eyes flickered towards the bright yellow house as they neared it, and he figured that Edward's last question was the crux of his problem.

"A set of new tools she's been wanting," Al answered, "She's been getting so much business lately that she hasn't had time to go get new ones." Al paused and glanced over at his brother. "Brother, is it your doing that she's been getting so much business?"

Ed jerked his head up in surprise. "No, what are you talking about?"

"It's getting harder for Granny to work all day so sometimes she asks me to help out when Winry has a new customer," Al explained, "A lot of the people coming in mention that they come through Central, and I was just wondering if you had been sending people who need automail to Winry."

"It's not me," Ed repeated, his voice distracted. Al could see his brother's thoughts were elsewhere and fell silent. "She owns practically every tool ever made," the younger Elric could hear his brother mutter under his breath. "I don't want to give her something she probably already has."

Edward was still muttering to himself as they came upon the house and Den raced up to greet them. The dog's enthusiastic barking shook the older Elric out of his thoughts and Ed reached over to scratch Den behind the ears as Al called out "Granny! Rose! Winry! We're back!"

"You're looking official today, Edward," Rose Thomas greeted them with a smile as the young boy in her arms waved and burbled from within his nest of thick blankets. "You must have run all the way down to the train station to bring your brother back so fast, Al."

Al opened his mouth to answer, but before a word could leave his mouth, the sharp ring of metal on metal cut through the air. "Winry! Will you stop throwing this stupid thing at me every time I come back?!" Ed roared, waving the battered wrench in his right hand over his head as he glared at the blonde grinning at him from the balcony.

"You caught it," Winry answered, the surprise evident in her voice. "Last time you just jumped out of the way." Without another word, she disappeared back inside, no doubt to make her way down to the main floor once she'd put away whatever she was working on.

"Last time I had my hands full," Ed grumbled to himself, dropping his valise to cradle his right arm with his left. The impact of the wrench against his automail had set the metal singing, and the vibrations could be felt all the way up into his shoulder, leaving a strange tingling sensation throughout his right side.

"Afternoon, Granny," Ed greeted the tiny, wizened woman who came out the door. "How's business?"

Pinako Rockbell peered at them over her glasses and nodded. "We get by," she answered simply, "You're looking more and more like a military man, Edward. Not sure I approve of this."

Ed gritted his teeth and tried to contain the outburst that was threatening to spill out of his mouth. "I'm going to change out of this stupid uniform," he ground out, glaring at his younger brother, as if all the attention being paid to him and his uniform was somehow Al's fault.

"We're staying in our old room," Al informed his brother needlessly as he watched Ed stalk inside, wrench in one hand and suitcase in the other.

* * *

The interior of the familiar Rockbell house was strewn with greenery, and a faint clean, sharp scent permeated the house, reminding Edward of the ravine where he spent countless hours as a child playing with Alphonse and Winry. "Winry?" he asked, wondering where the mechanic had gotten to, "Why does it smell like outside in here?"

"We decorated," Rose answered as she, the older Rockbell, and Al entered the house and closed the door behind them. "We used to cover Lior in ribbons and cloth to decorate for Christmas, but here you have trees, so I went down to the ravine and got branches to put up instead. It makes the whole house smell nice."

With the door closed, the house felt warmer, and Rose's son began to struggle out of his wrappings. "Big brother Al! Play!" the young boy insisted, waving his chubby arms at the younger Elric.

Al grinned and took the boy from Rose's arms. "Hey, Cain," he greeted, throwing the boy into the air. Ed's attention wandered away from the scene as a warm, spicy-sweet scent wafted from the kitchen, overwhelming the smell of pine.

"She's in the kitchen," Pinako informed him as she made her way to a chair in the main room and settled into it.

Leaving his valise and the wrench in the main room, Edward wandered into the kitchen, following his nose as much as the older Rockbell's instructions, to find Winry pulling a tray out of her oven. "What's all this?" he asked curiously as he peered into the oven. "It smells good." It was indeed the source of the spicy-sweet smell, though the objects in the tray resembled nothing edible so much as vaguely human shaped slabs of burned wood.

"Can you grab that one for me?" Winry requested as she laid her own tray down on the table. Ed complied, grabbing a towel from the nearby stack to protect his hand as he brought over the second tray. "They're gingerbread cookies," Winry explained.

"Why are they shaped like people?" Ed asked, probing the surface of one with a finger. When he found that those on Winry's tray were only warm to the touch and not blisteringly hot, he pulled a cookie from the tray and held it up to his face. "They smell good, but they don't look edible." Without another word, he bit into the cookie man's head; a look of astonishment came over his face and he crammed the rest of the cookie into his mouth. "They're delicious!"

Winry slapped at his reaching hand as she untied the white apron from around her waist. "Don't be such a pig, Edward," she admonished through a pleased smile. "We're going to decorate them after they've cooled down. Then you can eat as many as you want."

Once she'd put the apron back on its hook, she allowed herself to scrutinize the young man in front of her thoroughly. The cold outside had left his face faintly red, and his long blond ponytail was windblown. He was wearing the dark blue uniform she had found so surprising on her visit, but now she had to admit that the tailored clothing suited him and kept him from looking swallowed alive by the dark brown coat he favored. "You look nice," she said simply as she grabbed another cookie off the tray and headed out into the living room.

Edward felt the too-familiar warmth of a blush rise in his face, and he found himself distracted to the point of silence as he watched his childhood friend leave the room. He liked watching her walk, or do anything, to be honest; there was a certain grace to her movements that even a violently thrown wrench couldn't hide. He'd admitted to himself half a year ago that he found Winry attractive, more than attractive, even, but he had said nothing to her, unwilling to risk breaking the friendship between them. Suddenly finding himself alone in the kitchen, he hurried back to the main room, where he found Cain seated on Winry's lap, gnawing away on a gingerbread cookie. Al stood in front of the fireplace, coaxing a match among the kindling.

"Winry, he's going to get that all over your shirt," Rose protested, joining the blonde on the floor.

Winry looked down at the white top she wore and shrugged. "It's alright. It's already got flour and sugar all over it. A little more won't hurt." Noticing that Edward had finally left the kitchen, she looked up and smiled at the young man staring at the scene in front of him. "You want to take your stuff upstairs, Ed?" she asked, nodding at the valise on the ground. The direct question seemed to shake Edward out of his thoughts, and he moved to pick up his luggage. "And could you put my wrench back in my room, please?"

"What, so you can throw it at me again?" Edward demanded. "I don't think so." At the realization that she might have lost the wrench for good, Winry glared at him, but Ed merely grinned, disappearing up the stairs with valise and wrench in hand.

* * *

It only took seconds for Edward to tuck his valise at the foot of his bed, and another minute to locate the neatly folded set of his clothes Al had brought from their house. He stared at the crisp white linen shirt, Winry's wrench still in his hands, then sighed and left the room, the urge to get out of his previously unbearable uniform gone.

Winry's room was on the far end of the house, its floor littered with scraps of wire and discarded design sketches. Even though the main workshop was downstairs, Edward knew Winry often took smaller pieces up to her room to work on before she slept. Knowing he'd regret it later, Ed left the wrench on the worn wooden table and peered curiously around the large room. A half empty tool box gaped from under her bed, its contents scattered throughout the room. Medical textbooks shared shelf space with books about metallurgy and machine design, though the shelf directly at eye level contained no books, only an automail leg. At first glance, Ed assumed it was Winry's current work in progress, but something about the curve of the calf seemed familiar and he took it down for a closer look. Once he had the piece in his hand, the memory clicked in Edward's mind; the reason the limb looked so familiar was because it had been his, the first one he had been fitted with.

Looking at it now, held in his hands, Ed couldn't help but marvel at how small the limb seemed. Curious, he brought the leg up to his current one, holding it level with the junction of his flesh with the automail, and grinned when the old limb hung several inches off the ground. "You have grown, you know," Winry's amused voice pointed out from the doorway. "I mean, you're as tall as I am now."

Edward felt himself blush as he imagined the ludicrous image he made, holding the child sized leg up to himself. "Why do you still have it?" he asked, turning around to put the limb back where he'd found it. "I thought you would have scrapped it by now or salvaged it for parts."

Winry shrugged, arms crossed in front her as she entered the room. She stopped in front of the bookshelf and brushed a finger over the metal limb before speaking. "I always meant to, but never could bring myself to dismantle it," she answered. "It has sentimental value, I guess. Even though Granny helped a lot with the design and assembly, it was my first piece of automail."

They stood shoulder to shoulder in silence for a minute before Edward spoke again, reaching for the metal leg, "Mind if I borrow it for a while?"

"Just don't break it," Winry warned, fixing him with a stern glare.

"I won't," he promised, smiling at her. Only then did he notice the dark damp spot on the front of Winry's shirt. "Cain didn't like the cookie?" he asked innocently as he danced out of her reach.

The blonde waved a threatening fist at him as he neared the door. "Get out so I can change," she demanded even as he left the room, shutting the door behind him.

* * *

The sun was beginning to set behind the grey curtain of clouds and even the combination of the Rockbells' solidly built house and the bright blaze crackling in the fireplace couldn't keep the increasing chill at bay when Winry deemed the gingerbread cookies cool enough to decorate. Pinako waved off Rose's insistence she join in and took Cain by the hand, leading the boy to a seat in front of the fireplace. "You young ones celebrate your holiday," the tiny woman said. "Days like this, I just want to sit in front of a fire."

"Are you sure—?" Rose began to ask. At the look Pinako leveled her, though, Rose thought better of her words and bobbed her head in deference to the older woman. "Thank you," she said, heading into the kitchen.

"So how do we do this?" Alphonse asked, eyeing the neat rows of vaguely people shaped cookies on the counter.

"We use this icing," Rose explained, uncovering a tray she had left on the counter covered by a damp towel, "to decorate the cookies." She took a cookie in one hand and dipped a spoon in a small bowl of bright yellow icing. With a deft stroke of the icing covered spoon, she had given the cookie a shock of bright yellow hair remarkably similar to Ed's.

The resemblance was not lost on Al as he grinned and reached for a bowl of dark red icing. "I can mix the colours in this little bowl, right?" he asked. At Rose's nod, he continued, and soon had a small gingerbread person sporting a bright pink forelock.

"I'm going to go see what's keeping Ed," Winry said with a grin. "I hope you two try not to make all the cookies look like people you know. I don't know how I could eat something that looks like me."

When she reached the second floor, Winry began to shiver; the cold had leaked its way into the second floor of the house, where there was no bright blaze to ward it away. "Ed?" she called down the hall as she first headed to her room to pull a jacket on over her cream-coloured top and dark pants. The door to the Elric brothers' room was closed, and she suspected Edward was within, probably with his nose buried in some alchemy book. "Ed? We're decorating cookies," she called through the door as she raised a hand to knock. "If you don't want to help, at least come downstairs where it's warm."

From within, Winry could hear the clinking sound of metal being shoved away before footsteps neared the door. Ed appeared, still clad in his uniform, and grinned at her. "This means I can eat these cookies too, right?"

She couldn't help but laugh even as she rolled her eyes. "Yes, you bottomless pit," she answered. "Come on."

* * *

Cookie decorating took up much of the evening, and they had eaten so many in the processes that none of them felt inclined to have an actual meal. "It's alright, we'll have a real dinner tomorrow," Rose said as she cleaned up the remains of the sandwiches she had prepared for Cain and Pinako, who had not gorged themselves.

"I want to help with that," Al piped up, "since you and Winry have been working so hard getting everything together."

"It's more work than I thought," Winry admitted, then nodded at the plate of brightly coloured cookies, "but just looking at the results and how much fun we had makes it all worthwhile."

"I don't really look like this," Edward complained as he held up a bright, yellow-haired gingerbread man dressed in brown and white, an angry expression on its face. Winry, Rose, and Al exchanged three-way smiles at the complaint; they all agreed it was the spitting image of Ed when he got angry, but telling him so would only prove the point and send them into fits of hysterics. He squinted at the offending pastry and declared, "I'm going to eat him."

"I don't know how you can still eat them," Winry muttered, her voice a mixture of disgust and amazement, "You really are a bottomless pit."

After further scrutiny of the offending cookie, Edward placed it back on the plate. "Maybe tomorrow," he admitted. "Right now I just want to lie down."

"Why don't we hang the stockings and go to bed?" Rose suggested. "And tomorrow morning we can exchange gifts." At Ed and Al's questioning looks, she explained, "It's a tradition in Lior, children hang one of their socks at the foot of their bed before they go to sleep the night before Christmas and when they wake up, the socks are filled with small toys and candy. Although I think we might have better luck hanging ours over the fireplace."

"Who exactly is going to do this filling of socks?" Ed asked suspiciously.

Rose's smile widened as she shook a playful finger at the blond alchemist. "That's a surprise," she admonished. "Come on, I even made special stockings this time because it's the first time you've celebrated."

"Rose, I think I left something in your room when I was playing with Cain," Winry said, "Mind if I go get that?"

Edward couldn't help but notice the look that accompanied Winry's request, a look that Rose obviously also picked up, since a mysterious smile played at the corner of the dark haired woman's face as she answered, "Go ahead, but we'll start without you if you take too long."

When it became obvious that neither Elric brother was terribly inclined to move from his seat, Rose grabbed both of them by the wrist and pulled, almost dragging them towards the main room, where Pinako dozed with a fast asleep Cain in her lap and an equally tired Den at her feet. Following Rose's instructions, Ed and Al each took a large knitted stocking from a basket in the corner and hung it across the mantle. After their own task was completed, Al took a smaller one from the basket for the sleeping boy and hung it up next to his own. "Thanks, Al," Rose whispered with a smile.

"There are stockings for you, Granny, and Winry, right?" Al asked. "We'll put them up. You should take Cain up to bed." Rose smiled in agreement and began to gently coax her sleeping child into her arms. The movement roused Pinako, who shuffled upstairs with Den at her side.

"Brother?" Al asked when they found themselves alone.

Ed straightened the lavender stocking he suspected was Winry's on its nail before turning his attention to his younger brother. "Yeah, Al?"

Perhaps it was the play of flickering shadows across Alphonse's face, or the sudden nervous expression on his face, but to Edward, his brother suddenly looked much younger. "Do you ever regret what I did?" Al asked in a soft, hesitant voice. "That I made you stay here?"

The question caught Edward completely off-guard, and he blinked rapidly as he digested it. He looked around the warm Rockbell house, with the greenery tucked into corners and familiar photographs on the wall, and smiled. "Not at all," he answered firmly, "I was angry at first, but I don't think I was ever angry at you. I was angry at myself for being so easily read, for being so willing to disregard the feelings of the people around me."

The sound of footsteps descending the stairs was accompanied by Winry's voice. "You two should go to bed. I can't stuff stockings if you're both still awake."

"But what about our presents for you, Winry?" Al protested, "It's not fair if you don't get anything in your stocking."

Winry smiled as she came approached the fireplace, a covered basket in her hand. "You can give them to me when we exchange gifts in the morning," she answered, taking the two Elric brothers by the elbow and steering them none-too-gently towards the stairs. "Now go upstairs."

Al's expression showed he was less than satisfied with the arrangement, but a single glance at Winry's face convinced him he would not win out against her. "Good night, then, Winry," he said as he began the climb up to the second floor.

"Good night," Edward echoed as he followed his brother's lead.

When Edward reached the second floor, he didn't expect Alphonse to be waiting for him. He gave his younger brother a questioning look, and Al said simply, "You shouldn't disregard Winry's feelings, Brother. She waited a long time for you to come back, but even she can't wait for you forever." Without another word, Al disappeared into their room.

For the second time in mere minutes, Edward was struck speechless by his brother's words. Lost in thought, he mechanically thrust his hands into his pockets and brushed against the two small boxes he'd been carrying around all night. Pulling them out of his pocket, Ed's expression turned contemplative, and he hurried back down the stairs.

* * *

By the time Edward made it back downstairs, Cain's small stocking was already bulging and Winry was in the process of stuffing Alphonse's stocking with a small wooden ball that jingled. "Winry," Ed said, his attention drawn to the similar objects in her hand, "Those are cat toys."

The blonde had whirled around at the sound of his voice, and she managed to look both defensive and guilty at his words as she finished placing the toys in Al's stocking. "So?" she demanded.

"You got him a cat?" Edward asked, incredulous, as he neared the fireplace to peer into his brother's stocking. "Where is the fur ball? It's not in your room; I would have noticed a cat there earlier."

"Well, it's there now, and you're not getting rid of it," the blonde insisted. "And don't tell Al what he's getting for Christmas. I want it to be a surprise."

Edward couldn't help but smile at her insistence. "I won't," he promised, "but if that cat tears apart anything of mine when Al brings it home, I'm blaming you."

She waved away his concern with a smile before stepping back from the fireplace. "I can't stuff your stocking while you're watching, Ed," she complained. "It wouldn't be a surprise."

Staring down at the boxes in his hand, Ed suddenly looked nervous. "I wanted to leave something in your stocking," he admitted, "and I wanted to give you your gift now. It's a little hard to explain."

Having known Edward Elric for as long as she had, Winry knew at once that there was something more that the young man before her wasn't saying. "Alright," she said, her curiosity piqued.

Ed could feel his cheeks flush as he slipped the smaller box that contained the earrings into her stocking, though he hoped it was just because of the heat of the fire. "What do you say when you give someone their Christmas present?" he asked as he stepped away from the fireplace. "Happy Christmas?"

"I think it's traditionally 'Merry Christmas,'" Winry answered.

"Well, Merry Christmas, Winry," Edward said, pressing the remaining box into her hand. Winry examined it curiously in the flickering firelight for so long that he couldn't help but add with a nervous laugh, "Just open it already, will you?"

The blonde mechanic glared at him before following his instructions. Within the small box, she found a thin, dull silver chain attached to a twisted glass vial no thicker than her little finger. Though she rarely wore more jewelry than her earrings, Winry had to admit there was beauty in the piece's simplicity. "It's a necklace," she marveled, "and there's something in that vial. What is it?"

Edward's automail hand closed over hers as his other hand lifted the thin necklace out of its box and placed it in her hand. "I made it," Ed explained softly, "completely out of your first piece of automail. Out of my first piece of automail. The chain is metal from the plating, and it's one of the screws inside that vial." He paused in his explanation and smiled sheepishly, "It's not a very good gift, is it?"

Winry blinked back the tears she could feel welling up and swallowed past the lump in her throat as she shook her head. "It's a wonderful gift!" she insisted, her voice wavering despite her best efforts. "I can't believe you did this." She offered him the necklace with a smile and added, "Help me put it on?"

Finding his throat suddenly dry, Ed nodded in silence and took the necklace, reaching behind Winry's neck to fasten the clasp as she held her long hair away. As he secured the thin metal chain, Edward couldn't help being aware of how soft her skin felt beneath his fingertips or of how brilliantly blue her eyes were as they sparkled in the light of the fire. "Winry, there's one other thing I want to give you," he continued, his voice a bare whisper, "But I think if I do, you would hit me."

Winry couldn't help the somersault her stomach did as she stared into Edward's dark gold eyes. He was so close that she could feel the heat radiating off his skin, could see the nervous way he chewed his lip as he spoke. "What is it?" she managed to ask, her throat suddenly dry as he bent closer to catch her words. She couldn't help but notice just how close he was, his lips less than a finger's width from her own.

Before he could regret the decision or lose his nerve, Edward closed the tiny distance between himself and Winry, pressing his lips to hers as his arms tightened around her of their own accord, unwilling to let her go. Within his arms, Ed felt Winry stiffen in shock, and he was about to pull away when he felt her lips respond. It took him another split second to realize she was kissing him back, that he had not been concussed, that the woman in his arms, his oldest friend, was clinging to him as surely and as tightly as he was clinging to her. Warmth that had nothing to do with the blazing fire in front of them and everything to do with the knowledge that Winry wanted this as much as he did flooded through Edward, bringing with it an undeniable certainty that this was right, that there was no other place he wanted to be at that moment than within the warm Rockbells' house with Winry Rockbell in his arms, her lips pressed to his, that this was exactly where he belonged.


End file.
